Bellator 103's David Rickels seeks 'redemption' after title fight blowout

Bellator MMA lightweight David Rickels has something to prove to himself and the MMA community.

After putting together a four-fight winning streak with the promotion that included the Season 8 tournament crown, Rickels (14-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) earned an opportunity to challenge divisional kingpin Michael Chandler for his 155-pound title over the summer.

What happened next was a performance Rickels is eager to forget.

“The Caveman” was on the receiving end of one of Chandler’s most impressive victories, a 44-second knockout finish that ended the bout before it could really get started.

“I really do feel like I have a little bit to prove,” Rickels told MMAjunkie.com. “Bellator’s still growing, and unless you’ve been watching in the early days, you didn’t see a lot of my awesome fights that I’ve had for Bellator and the awesome beatings I’ve put on some guys.

“A lot of people saw [Chandler] as my first fight, and it leaves a sour taste in their mouth, my mouth and I want them to really know what ‘The Caveman’ is capable of.”

Rickels will have the opportunity to show the world what he can do on Friday when he meets J.J. Ambrose in one of the featured bouts on the Bellator 103 fight card, which takes place at Kansas Star Arena at Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, just south of Wichita. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

The fight with Ambrose (19-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) comes less than three months after the loss to Chandler, which is one the quickest turnarounds of Rickels’ career.

Even though he had less time than usual to prepare, the 24-year-old was happy to get the call to compete again. Deep down he feels like he didn’t do much wrong against Chandler, and ultimately the defeat was a product of minor mistakes.

“I was extremely confident going into that fight, and that’s what hurt me the most,” Rickels said. “To lose, I felt like I just caught, I made one small mistake and I paid for it. So I’ve just been making minor tweaks to my game and hopefully I’ll show everyone how good I am.”

The event takes place in Rickels’ home state of Kansas, which for most fighters adds unnecessary distractions and pressure to an already high-strung situation.

Rickels thrives off that, though, and he believes the stars have aligned perfectly for him to rebound with a big performance in front of his loved ones and take a step toward earning a rematch with Chandler.

“This is in my hometown, so how much more pressure can you get than your friends and family watching?” Rickels said. “I want to get back in the cage and get what I call redemption. This is my road to redemption, and it starts with J.J. Ambrose.”

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